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Like most undergraduates during the '60's, I remember lugging around a very heavy (but barely worn) Economics text written by the esteemed Paul Samuelson. I could almost imagine his soothing voice, leading me out to "efficient frontiers," or on journeys to world markets where supply and demand moved together in an elegant dance. I became confident in the self-regulating nature of free markets, and learned to love capitalism, even with its flaws.

Imagine my surprise to learn that this same Paul Samuelson, at 89, is still deeply engaged in developing our understanding of world markets. From this past Sunday's Maine Today, we learn the following:

Writing in the summer 2004 Journal of Economic Perspectives, Samuelson questioned whether, in an era when huge economies like India and China produce at comparable efficiency to the United States, but at a fraction of its wages, gains from free trade really offset the losses entailed.

Criticizing by name such eminent figures as Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and presidential economic adviser Gregory Mankiw (he of outsourcing-is-good fame), Samuelson called their assertions that trade-induced disruptions produce more winners than losers a "popular polemical untruth."

Samuelson proceeded to attack what he labeled his profession's "oversimple complacencies about globalization" and pointedly argued that the current enthusiasm for outsourcing "can induce for the United States permanent lost per capita real income."

What does this mean for those of us involved in conversion work, be it sales or human capital supply/demand management?

First, we need to understand the full impact of trade agreements on our businesses, realizing that we have some collective responsibility to keep the US economy strong beyond our own narrow (business) interests.

Second, we have to stay in touch with our political representatives, making sure they understand the real impact on our economy (and the ability of our markets to stay viable) when job migration is followed by knowledge migration. As reported in Business & Industry section of the Deccan Herald (Bangalore):

A study conduced by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has revealed that India is all set to move from being the most preferred business process outsourcing (BPO) destination to a knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) destination.

Third, we need to continue to improve our own means of reaching global markets with products and services that are difficult to duplicate or reverse-engineer. To do this we need to embrace continuous learning, both for ourselves, our employees and the generation to follow.

In his own, singular way, Paul Samuelson sets the mark for us all. He's shown a willingness to challenge his long-held beliefs, and be open to a rethinking of fundamental principles in his field . . . at 89! If he can do it, we can, too. Way to go, Paul.

We're as fond of "top 10 lists" as David Letterman. In the business world, such lists often go under the heading of "10 tips" or "10 things no (fill in the blank) should be without." As such, they represent a distilled version of the writer's wisdom, passed on in a format that is immediately accessible to their time-challenged readership.

But do we really need 10 tips? Especially when the whole idea can be boiled down to one simple statement? As our example for the day, we turn to Keith Gloster's article in today's WebProNews, "10 Tips for Writing a Highly Persuasive Ad." After reading his list, and agreeing that each item contains a nugget of wisdom, we stepped back and thought, "what's really being said here?" Every action he suggests serves one goal: build buyer confidence. And by building buyer confidence, we mean the buyer's confidence in their own ability to make a decision that will not come back to haunt them.

Buyer confidence is at the heart of conversion. Once achieved, the buyer is acting from an "internal locus of control" rather than being influenced and shaped by all the forces (and conflicts) around them. Gloster does a nice job of showing us some of the ways to help the buyer get there. Our friends Bryan and Jeffery Eisenberg cover this topic from almost every angle in their highly-acclaimed best-seller Call to Action.

Focus on making your buyer a winner. Winning buyers are confident. And when they are confident, you win too.

As regular readers of this blog are well aware, we've been searching for solutions to the Armed Services' recruiting problems for years, long before the mainstream media recognized this for the issue that it is. Keeping an all-volunteer Army at fighting strength is a human capital conversion challenge of the first magnitude. And we've been arguing for a holistic solution which includes some good PR as well as compelling (and ethically defensible) recruiting tactics.

One of the indicators that recruiting problems for the military have reached a new level of complexity is the appearance of well-organized "anti-recruiting" sites targeting the parents of high school children. One of these, leavemychildalone.org was mentioned prominently in Bob Herbert's NYT column for June 27, 2005 entitled "The Army's Hard Sell."

In the article, Herbert says:

"Now, with the war going badly and the Army chasing potential recruits with a ferocity that is alarming, a backlash is developing that could cripple the nation's ability to wage war without a draft. Even as the ranks of new recruits are dwindling, many parents and public school officials are battling the increasingly heavy-handed tactics being used by military recruiters who are desperately trying to sign up high school kids."

You know, we've had wars "going badly" before, from the pre-Gettysburg period of Civil War (if you were in the North), to the early days of WWII. And these wars were ugly ones, in which lives and ground were being lost at an alarming rate. However, we rallied to win in both cases because we knew that the consequences of losing were unacceptable. And America's young people lined up to become soldiers because they believed in the cause . . . a cause that was sold to them by political figures who inspired trust.

We need to consider what it's going to take to turn Armed Services recruiting around. It's going to take more than databases, signing bonuses and free video games (given to potential recruits). Consider what needs to be done, and let your convictions guide your actions. Our young men and women who are overseas right now need our help.

This morning I had the distinct pleasure of joining my friends and colleagues from Insight Performance Improvement of Dedham, MA, at the Boston Business Journal's awards breakfast for the Best Places to Work - 2005. For the second year in a row, this rapidly growing HR management and outsourcing firm was recognized as one of the top 5 places to work in the Boston metro area (#3 -Small Business Division) by the awards judges, and most importantly by its employees.

Shown at left with her proud husband, Nancy Mobley, CEO holds the plaque received on stage this morning. About 20 of her employees, associates, business partners and family members were in attendance, hooting and hollering and waving blue pom-poms (nice effect) as the award was announced.

What's the message here? In an era when corporate greed, questionable ethics and record lawsuit awards are everyday news, 60 Boston-area companies (20 each in the small, medium and large company groups) were singled out as places where employees were respected, given an opportunity to succeed and seen worthy of having a share of the success. All the clever job advertising and Website promotions in the world cannot equal great "word of mouth" when it comes to attracting the best talent. Conversion in the human capital marketplace is strongly influenced by the search for value on the part of potential job candidates. And in one room of the Park Plaza in downtown Boston this morning, you could just feel the value.

It doesn't happen by accident. As Joseph Deitch of Commonwealth Financial (#1 medium-sized company) told us this morning, "acts of kindness are not random." Becoming a best place to work is hard work. But the payoffs are huge . . . for the company, its employees and its customers. Good stuff goes a long way.

This week we had an opportunity to do an interview we’ve had planned for quite some time with Harold Anderson, one of the owners of Shelton of York.The shop has been a fixture in this historic beach community for as long as I can remember, and is one of the places we go to select gifts for people who love the Maine seacoast as much as we do.

Earlier this year, a violent nor'easter ripped through York Beach, tearing down awnings, throwing signs and smashing windows. As you'll hear in Harold's own words, his neighbors showed up to help protect the store. This is not unusual. It's part of the culture in beach communities, helping one another in times of need. Shelton's exterior still shows a few minor bruises from the storm, but once you come in the door on the corner, you'd never know it.

During a recent visit , we saw the resident artist at work near the front of the shop, painting vivid seascapes.A giclee of one of his works depicting the battle between the CSS Alabama and the USS Kearsarge (Cherbourg, France, June 19, 1864) caught our eye, leading to a brief conversation concerning the accuracy of his depiction, which is flawless.

Wandering through the shop, we are dazzled by new and interesting decorations, lamps and models. My wife wanders off to look at the new fashions which are displayed deeper in the store.The whole place is alive with quiet conversation, color and light.It’s always a pleasure to stop by.

For those who unfortunately find yourself landlocked today, we bring a bit of the store to you via an interview with Harold.Take a moment to listen.You’ll be glad you did.

One of the reasons we track practices and trends in recruiting is that the lessons learned in getting candidates to say "yes" to a job offer (a sale by another name is still a sale) apply readily to other selling processes. Some are very basic, but bear repeating.

In Lou Adler's article "Get Off the PC and On the Phone" in today's Electronic Recruiting Exchange, we are reminded that the best way to deal with "no" answers is to frame the early part of the discussion where "yes" is the only logical answer to the question. Specifically talking about cold-calling "passive" (not looking) candidates, Lou advises:

"Recruiters need to lead the cold call conversation by asking appropriate questions. The best ones are those that can be answered by a yes."

Lou contends that candidates have legitimate reasons to say "no" if we don't provide information early in the conversation that says what we have to discuss is worth listening to. Lou says:

"When a candidate says no to anything, especially early in the recruiting process, it's usually because he or she doesn't have enough information to say yes, and the opportunity doesn't seem worth spending the time to consider it."

So it's up to the recruiter (or any salesperson, for that matter) to provide enough information up front to intrigue the candidate (or any other sales prospect).

Yes, the basics of good cold-call work apply across industry boundaries. When we forget them, we get rejected . . . for good reason. Take a look at Lou's article, and see if it rings any bells. In our efforts to employ sophisticated techniques and technology, we often forget the basic tools of our trade. Don't let this happen to you.

What's missing, in most cases, can be surmised from the characteristics cited by those few companies giving their lead development capability the highest rating, namely "effective sales and marketing communications; clear lead definitions and the ability to manage and track leads."

Given the investments we've seen (at our clients, and other companies) for sales force automation and CRM systems, there is a serious ROI reckoning on the horizon. Is it the tools, or have we just not spent the time reinforcing the behaviors that lead to good results? CRM and SFA are not magic bullets. It's the people that make lead generation and development pay off.

Like many of our readers, we've been following the story of the Army's recruiting woes with rapt interest. Recruiting is tough work as it is, a task made even more difficult when working against the odds (low pay, dangerous work, dubious mission objectives). And along the way, we've offered some modest suggestions regarding sourcing and incentives.

Imagine our delight when we opened Dr. John Sullivan's article U.S. Army Needs Your Help in yesterday's Electronic Recruiting Exchange. Rather than just sit back and "admire the problem," (we've seen plenty of this in the blogosphere and popular press) John offers no less than 28 solid recommendations for Armed Services recruiters. And, he enlists the help of other professional recruiters to offer suggestions and recommendations.

Some of the recommendations we really liked are:

De-emphasize signing bonuses: Instead focus on the benefits of working for the military.

Pitch to the Parents: Rather than work around them, work with them

Testimonials: Have successful people in civilian life (CEO's, etc.) say "what military service did for me."

Recruit at local gun clubs: Many men and women who served proudly continue to enjoy the shooting sports. At my own club in Lowell Massachusetts, there are plenty of vets, and solid support for our men and women in uniform.

Recruit at flight schools: Want to be a pilot? This is where you get your training and your hours.

If you know someone who is connected with Armed Services recruiting, send them a link to John's article.

Just in from the motion picture capital of the world, we find that a not-so-new technology (IM) is now enabling buyers and sellers of talent to find one another more efficiently than ever before. Job boards and other posting venues just don't cut it for people whose project contribution may only last for a few weeks (a long-term relationship by Hollywood standards).

According to Cyrus Farivar in yesterday's Wired News, "Movie producers, directors, actors and crew workers bouncing from one job to the next have traditionally relied on agents and Rolodexes for finding their next gigs. But these days, many are discovering it's easier to post their job availability on IM."

The great thing about connecting through instant messaging is that you can conveniently engage in marketing for your next job, and even close the deal while working on your current job. Any consultant who has faced the consequences of neglecting marketing while on a big job can see the benefit in this. Simply putting out a "Successful engagement coming to an end for Jane Consultant" over IM, takes little time, particularly if you can include a link to a site or blog that contains your vitals. So much for cover letters - let your fingers (or thumbs) do the talking.

We're pleased to see another tool added to the array of technology supporting conversion in the human capital marketplace. Particularly one as simple and immediate as IM.

Thursdays at the Berkman Center (Harvard Law School) are typically an "inhouse" affair, during which the regulars and guests spend about an hour or so learning from each other about some aspect of blogging. This summer, the discussions have been particularly rich, focusing on platforms (like LiveJournal), tagging and the state of WiFi in Boston (a hot topic). Future sessions will cover Wikis, food blogs, blogging for non-profits and so on.

However, tonight being Harvard graduation (read -major traffic jam), the Berkman Thursday crowd decamped to the other side of the river, and converged on the ICA (Institute for Contemporary Art).

The ICA's current exhibit "Getting Emotional:Thirty-two international artists explore the expression of feelings through painting, photography, sculpture, and video" proved to be ripe for blogging . . . as the offerings ranged from the eerily beautiful (e.g. Warhol's Nine Jackies - the center strip of which is used in another work - 20 Jackies) to the intensely disturbing.

As the Berkman ArtMob spread out among the floors, we had an opportunity to experience not only our own emotional reactions to "Getting Emotional" but also recorded and provided commentary on other people viewing the exhibition.

Always willing to take an abstraction to the next level (meta-meta-meta), I decided to concentrate on an aspect of the recording in progress, namely, choice of blogging hardware.

What follows is an impromtu interview with some of my blogging peers, during which they reveal a diversity of technique . . . one of the aspects of the blogging culture that makes this emerging form of public conversation a constantly unfolding surprise.

Wish We'd Said It First

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.